— - nevertheless - — she persisted

“Er…” Lucinda looked down at her hands, was she really going to make her say it. “I may have overreacted in the Library…and in class…I just…” She took a long deep breath. “I have other things going on and I took it out on you and I’m sorry.” She sat down and put her face in her hands. “Leila is mad at me, understandably so, so I can’t really approach her. It’s my fault she took the potion in the first place.”

Eleonora certainly hadn’t been expecting an...apology from the girl anytime soon. Or rather...ever. She’d seemed like someone far too prideful for such things. But seemingly change of heart was rather intriguing. “What’s in the past is...past. But I appreciate your apology, Lucinda.” She watched as the girl put her face in her hands. “I’m sure she’ll come around, Lucinda. Though I wish at times Leila was less forgiving to some...you’re her good friend. And you can’t take all the blame.”

“I shall count my blessings, a strong friend and a magically healthy body. What more could anybody ask for?” He smiled gently. The situation wasn’t one he’d ever imagined, but he enjoyed every second of it. 

“They were obviously not good enough for you,” he said in reply. It was a fact to Salazar. He couldn’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want Eleonora for a daughter in law. She was talented, intelligent and capable of a great many things. Perhaps she wasn’t the traditional dream bride. But she was better than many run of the mill plane Jane’s that existed in the world. You’d be hard pressed to pick someone better than Ellie. “You deserve better than someone who wants to hold you back.”

Salazar smiled gently at her apparent confusion. He wasn’t sure himself what he wanted from this situation. He was still her teacher after all, he wasn’t sure that this was appropriate. Not to mention that favouritism was already an issue and he was convinced that it could only get worse. “Are you sure?” he asked despite all of the good reasons to put a stop to this foolish behaviour. Somehow the boy within him who had lived in Rome was winning over. 

She gave him an appreciative little smile. Of course he’d say something like that. “Don’t blame me for thinking you might be a little...biased,” Eleonora said with a half-smile. She’d tried not to take the rejections personally but...it was also more than that. Disappointing her parents wasn’t something she was fond of doing, and if she’d ended up married, no doubt there’d be less pressure on Mateo. “You’re still a not so secretly sweet boy, Sally,” she said affectionately, one of the rarer times she didn’t use the name as a tease. 

He asked if she was sure and...she couldn’t have been farther from such a thing. What if this was her only chance? “No...” It wasn’t as if she’d been mooning after Salazar or anything of that like. But she was rather...curious. He was the biggest what if in her life. What if his family hadn’t left? What if they’d gotten married? She wasn’t one who tended to have such unanswered questions plaguing her. But Salazar was one of the most important people in her life. So she decided to tell the truth as she leaned a fraction closer, her nose brushing against his lightly. “I’m...curious.” What did he think of all this, though? “Are you?” Apparently she didn’t have the filter to keep herself from asking, lips unbearably close to his.

“Fear of your wrath?” Salazar asked with a playfully quirked eyebrow, “Now that doesn’t sound like the sweet girl that I grew up with in Rome. I am left with a wrathful woman who seems content on scaring me out of ever being ill again, not that I mind necessarily. It’s just a shock to the system.” He raised an eyebrow and smirked gently, wondering what Eleonora was thinking, wishing that he could find out. 

“The marital bed is a metaphor,” Salazar replied with a quirked eyebrow, the true status of Eleonora’s maidenhood didn’t particularly interest him. He was Catholic in tradition only. “Honestly, I’m surprised that someone wasn’t turned into an honest man by you, did it simply never happen. Did someone never strike your fancy?” He paused for a second as she looked at him. 

“I couldn’t possibly imagine what actions you’d want us to engage upon,” he leaned even closer. He could feel her breath on his beard, blowing the short hairs on his chin. His lips were only a few centimetres away from her. He could practically taste her. “What could you possibly want? Tell me and I’ll do my best to oblige.” 

“Yes,” she confirmed with playfully narrowed eyes. “Well this is what you get now.” A little laugh came from before she said, “Hopefully the shock to the system will also help keep the illnesses at bay. Perhaps that was the plan all along.” Then her blush was deepening, for a moment taking Salazar’s words to be asking about her sexual history.

But then she realized he meant actual marriage. “Well it wasn’t for lack of my parents trying,” she said with a bit of a mirthless laugh. The situation was...something of a sore subject for her. Eleonora tried to give a little shrug, as if attempting to prove that it didn’t affect her. “Everyone they found seemed to think I was too...lively.” That was the kindest way of putting it. But long story short— no respectable pureblood family had wanted a bride that was off travelling the world who had priorities and wishes that weren’t just child rearing and home making, one who was as strong-minded as her. In truth, Part of it was because they’d waited too long to search after the Slytherins had left, hoping that a deal could still somehow be reforged.

For a moment she forgot to breath as he drew even closer, her mind growing silent and unbearably loud all at once. “Us?” she said before her eyes betrayed her with a little glance to his lips, unable not to think about such things in this moment. “I- I don’t know.” Her body was clear enough in telling her what she wanted. It was him. But her mind was trying to hold firm, telling her all the reasons asking to kiss her childhood best friend and former betrothed could end in disaster. For possibly the first time in her life she’d been rendered speechless.

Laughing amiably at Eleonora’s words, Salazar couldn’t help but smirk at her words. “Well, now I’ve got someone to stop me from such follies again. I wouldn’t want to have to put you at the imposition of healing me twice.” He wondered when she’d become so strikingly beautiful. As a child his interest had been in friendship only, yet she hadn’t looked anything like this when they were ten. Not that that was the only thing about her that he couldn’t stop thinking about. Everything about her was electrifying. 

“Marital beds are usually a private affair which the general public are privy too, poisonings however are a scandal of a almost disproportionate size…” he smirked gently. “Maybe I’ve just got the wrong idea about what goes on in Italian marital beds though, I will admit that I missed out on that part of my upbringing during my childhood.” He caught his breath as he gazed at her, before shaking his head gently. “Nothing. Mere words can’t describe this.”

His smirk was always distracting, drawing her attention to his mouth when she was supposed to be concentrating on his eyes and words and other things. “Yes you do,” she said in a playfully forceful tone. “And the real reason you should resist being healed by me a second time is for fear of my wrath, and what might happen to you if you’re irresponsible enough to get hurt or fall sick.” Her gaze slipped over his features, trying once again to re-familiarize herself with how things had changed— though perhaps she was simply appreciating what the years had done for him when it came to how handsome he’d grown. 

Eleonora’s blush returned for a moment being before saying, “Well I wouldn’t know,” she tried to joke. “I’ve never been married so— no marital bed to- to-draw experience from.” Her words weren’t as smooth as they were when it came to any other topic. Her heart still pounded against her ribcage, gaze still locking with his as logic came from her. She couldn’t even remember what it was they’d been talking about to get to this point. “What of actions? If words are failing...”

“Facial hair, hair on my head, eyebrows, eyelashes,” Salazar returned her smile affectionately, it had been far too long since he’d spent quality time like this with his oldest friend and he was enjoying himself immensely, “I could not tell you the amount of time that I have to spend doing my hair, it takes me hours to get ready for lessons, so much so that I’ve taken to not sleeping to get more done.” 

“Is it really an interesting marriage if there isn’t a little bit of poisoning to keep things fresh for everyone?” he grinned in return, brushing a stray hair from her eye and tucking it back behind her ear, her face was closer to his than anyone’s had been in a long time. He could smell the scent of her so clearly due to the distance and despite all of that he couldn’t help but grin dumbly. Blood roared in his ears and he reached out to stroke her cheek gently before shaking his head and starring into her eyes. “None that would be worthy of this moment.” 

Her own smile was quick to widen with his own, though it had never dropped to begin with. It was rather difficult to do anything but grin when she was with Salazar, still often marveling at how lucky they’d been to find one another once more. For years, part of her had thought their last memories together would be doomed to be the sad, and emotional ones of their parting. But here they were, making memories anew. “Well that’s why you’ve got the head cold. All this hair tugging and no sleeping.”

“Isn’t that what the martial bed is for?” she said before she could think of the words that were coming from her lips, immediately embarrassed that they’d slipped through. When had she become a person to joke about such things? But she laughed again, though she stood suddenly still as his hand brushed her hair, as if moving might...break whatever it was that was going on. But then she caught sight of his grin, and her own lips parted once more in a smile. Her healing had finished, but she had yet to take her hands away, able to feel his warmth beneath her fingers. Her heart stood still a moment as he went over her cheek, and the hand against his hair made another stroke through his curls. For once she couldn’t think of something smart or teasing to say back. “Nothing at all?”

“I’m not disagreeing with you Ellie,” Salazar reached out gently and pressed his index finger against her nose for a moment before pulling his hand back almost embarrassed by the familiarity. “A little healthy and shiny?” he asked with a laugh as he felt her magic start to work. “I work incredibly hard to keep my hair healthy and shiny. Regardless of what form it is in.” 

“What about me?” he asked mocking offence, “You wouldn’t miss your oldest friend who you were once meant to marry?” he asked with a laugh as he reached for his wine and took a long sip of it before gazing into her eyes, blinking once. “Well it seems I only have two left, I don’t know what I’ll ever do with all this time.” 

She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut short when his finger bopped her and she blinked a couple of times before giving a gentle giggle. “I forgot what I was going to say.” After all she’d been caught a little by surprise, though not unpleasantly so. “What form it’s in?” she asked with a chuckle before swiping a playful thumb over his eyebrow. “Even this one?” 

Eleonora laughed as she began to put the finishing touches on the magic, biting her lip delicately as she concentrated, a habit she’d always had while thinking or focusing. “Weren’t you the one who was just accusing me of poisoning you in said marriage?” Amusement was plain on her features, but she paused when he went silent and simply blinked at her, confusion coloring her face. But once it became clear what she was doing, she burst out with laughter, forehead dipping forwards with the movement and accidentally bumping in his for a moment. “Do you have any last words?” she managed to say through her still bubbling laughs.

“The nose that we spoke of was metaphorical, not your literal nose. You’ve obviously got some deep insecurities about your nose, otherwise why would this phase you to this extent?” Salazar couldn’t help but tease her. It was too easy. He smiled gently, raising an eyebrow at Eleonora and smiled brightly. “I’m just sure of who I am,” not to mention that he was a trained Legilimens, not that he would use it on anyone without permission, but he liked to think that it gave him a certain edge. 

Brightly smiling, Salazar laughed and dipped his head apologetically. “Eleonora, Ellie, you’re my oldest friend and if I have offended her queen-ship, her majesty then I am terribly sorry. I value my pretty head, I do not wish to lose it.” He laughed and shook his head, “I don’t mind, maybe I should light a fire in here.” He waved his wand at the fire place and watch a pile of logs neatly stack themselves before a match struck itself under the tinder and caught light. “So what is the prognosis good doctor?” 

“My noes is perfection. Elegance. The best at smelling things. Metaphorically and physically,” she said as she subconsciously pushed it into the air a little. She raised her gaze back to his, deeming it safe to do so once more and hoping her small blush hadn’t entirely betrayed her. “I suppose..your curls are a little healthy and shiny,” she said with a little grin before running a hand gently through a few of them, letting the simple healing magic flow through her fingers at the same time. 

“I’m only sparing you because it would be a shame to lose your head of hair,” but her smile had softened at the nickname. Then she hummed in approval as the fire came to life, wiggling a little in her excitement for warmth. As the light of the flames flickered over the side of her and his features, she decided to continue on with their teases. “I’d say you have about...three more blinks of your eyes to live.”

“Somewhat arrogant of one to assume that their nose was perfect in every situation and scenario,” Salazar replied as he continued to tease, Eleonora hadn’t become any less of a target for gentle ribbing. She was more than aware of that he was sure. “You’re thinking about how wonderfully handsome I’ve become, you’re thinking about how well my stubble grows in and about how healthy my hair looks.” He smirked brightly. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

“I’m afraid my name is not Godric and I am not going to be able to act as a knight in this situation,” he smiled brightly and shrugged, “besides, that would mean that you were a queen of some kind and that’s somewhat preposterous.” As her fingers brushed against his face, he couldn’t help but take a sharp intake of breath, “Are you hands always this cold?” he asked with a chuckle, “Is it a healer specific problem that you face?”

“I didn’t assume!” she said with a laugh, a wide smile on her lips. “I was simply defending my absolutely perfect nose to you and your grandfather’s attacks.” Eleonora loved their little back and forth, though. But unbidden, a little pink came to her cheeks in a light flush, embarrassed that she had been thinking something similar when they’d first reunited. As well as...a minute or so ago when talking about his name. “You’re ridiculous,” she dodged with a small chuckle.

She shook her head as if disappointed before saying, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to behead you, then. Just as a real queen would. If only to prove that I am one. Because implying I’m not is an outrage.” Eleonora drew her hands back for a moment with a little, “Sorry,” before warming them. “I forgot the snow made them worse.” Though...she generally ran cold. “You’re a healer specific problem that I face,” she teased before placing her fingers back to where they’d been before, trailing them lightly over the areas in question as she focused.

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“If you really had the perfect nose for leadership then would you have to insist that, surely your actions would speak louder than your words?” he smiled gently, knowing that he was only teasing. Eleonora was his oldest friend and he had never doubted her ability to lead people. She was charismatic and brave, something that many others couldn’t say. “I know you better than you think, even though we were seperated for such a long time.” He passed her over the glass of wine, smiling peacefully at her and inclining his head gracefully. 

Somewhat alarmed at her insistence on standing to inspect him, “I believe you, however take a seat whilst you examine me,” he gently but firmly helped her back into the chair, before kneeling down in front of her, his great height meaning that they were still at eye level with one another. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Well I wouldn’t have to insist it, if you didn’t accuse me of having a less than perfect nose in the first place!” she said stubbornly, though it was all in good nature and punctuated with a little laugh. But she smiled a little at the thought of him still knowing her, and vice versa. “If you know me so well— than what am I thinking of this exact instant?” she teased a little. 

Eleonora let herself be guided into the chair, secretly a little pleased that she was finally going to get her way with him concerning the supposed head cold. “You look like my knight, getting ready to pledge his loyalty to me,” she joked a little before rolling her eyes gently. “You’re a terrible patient already. I hope you know that.” But as always, her words her gentle and more out of amusement than anything. “Just hold still,” she said a little more softly as her hands reached out to brush her thumbs gently over his temples, remaining fingers resting lightly against his curls as her brow furrowed a little in concentration.

After sleeping for a few hours, Helga quietly slipped off her room and started heading to the greenhouse, worried that the plants wilted while she was gone. She choose mostly unused corridors, the ones she knew students were still getting to know, ones that took extra turns to get to their destination so people tended to ignore. She choose them hoping to evade running into anyone. But her bad luck meant that just as she entered a corridor, she spotted a familiar face coming in her direction.

Her heart beat faster, fear and excitement twisting together inside of her. Eleonora. She missed her, missed her smiles and easy company. But she didn’t want to see her, didn’t want Eleonora to see her this way.

Turning around, she walked away.

@eleonoraxaltieri

To be entirely honest, Eleonora had been combing the halls for Helga, waiting for the woman’s return ever since she’d gotten Holden’s letter. It hadn’t been difficult to guess that the departure of Helga’s beloved siblings would take its toll on the woman. Even if she hadn’t heard the news, she would have been eagerly awaiting the founder’s return, possibly a little too excited to see her once more. Perhaps Eleonora should have let Helga have her peace, but instead she padded after the other girl, far too concerned to do anything of that like without checking in first.

“Helga! Wait!” she called out, quickening her strides a little to try and make it to the remaining Hufflepuff. 

“That’s a smart girl,” Rowena grinned. “Not that it needed proving. You’ve done very well in the hospital wing. I know you will be an amazing healer.” It was a compliment easily given because Rowena believed it to be true. Eleonora was one of those students that was easy to like. “When you go out into the world and make a name for yourself I’ll be able to say I knew you at the beginning.”

Eleonora offered her a little smile before going on to say, “Thank you. Of course— I was very sad to to hear that Holden must go but I’m also excited for the new tasks overseeing the hospital wing will bring. And I thank you for the confidence.” But she wasn’t entirely certain how to tell the founder that her journey had already been rather full and prestigious already without sounding entirely full of herself. “Or at least something of the middle,” she said with a little laugh. “I’ve been glad to see much of the world so far, and get to heal and discover along the way.”

Lucinda stepped inside, crossing her arms and looking down, “I think it went far above and beyond.” She said quietly, “And I have misjudged you, so…I’m sorry.” She gulped, ready for the axe to come down, “For everything.” She cleared her throat, remembering that Eleonora had asked a question. “Leila is…embarrassed. I’m worried about her.” 

Eleonora’s brow furrowed a little but as she considered the girl before her. One who had apparently had something of a change of heart. Or was that simply what Lucinda wanted her to think? “How do you mean?” she asked with her head titled curiously, not wanting to say anything before she fully understood. “I’m going to find her and talk to her as well. I don’t want this to have a lasting negative effect for her.”

Staring at Eleonora, Helga begins laughing before she can reply, her eyes closing as she ducks her head and laughs harder. “You are something else! And you will definetly get yourself sick if you do this again! Putting snow in your clothing!” if there was an available blanket nearby, she would definetly be covering Eleonora again, a third time.  “The best? That’s good.”

“Oh yes, the tent is a very dangerous place. I might trip over Oswald’s long legs or Vasilisa sleeping by the fireplace.” folding her legs under her body, Helga adjusted herself on the arm of the chair, making herself comfortable to stay there for a little while. “But you are right, I shouldn’t leave you alone. Without me here you would get into all sorts of mischief.”

At first, Eleonora had intended to pout when Helga started laughing, but the other woman was simply so cute in her amusement that Eleonora couldn’t help but smile widely in return. “It’s a good idea!” she insisted. “Where else was I meant to put my snowballs?” Eleonora finished with a little laugh.

“So it’s not general bad luck, it’s bad luck in romance?” this plant was getting bigger and bigger powers, soon it would be predicting her husband. “Traditions have power, they come from somewhere, they usually exist to help you in your life. If you don’t know them, it means they have no power over you. There won’t be any repercussions, so I think we relax.”

“Do you think he is the one behind the mistletoe? We don’t have a lot of students from that region…” she hasn’t really had a chance to get to know this particular student, she doesn’t know what he is capable of. “I wouldn’t say he looks like a mountain, a slope perhaps? I think a slope is more fitting.”

“I don’t know,” Eleonora said with a little laugh, before offhandedly divulging, “I doubt I could have worse luck anyway.” But she looked away after that, the words having slipped out a little unintentionally in the joking air of the moment. Helga was far too easy to talk to. “Well...if I end up an old maid— wait. who am I kidding? I’m already an old maid. Alright, if I end up an older maid— I’m going to be blaming the mistletoe.”

Her head cocked to the side as she continued Helga’s words. “I’m not sure. But I’d think it would be someone from that region, right?” The smallest hint of a teasing smirk came over her lips. “Unless...there was an innocent student hoping to give everyone the present of a beauty potion ingredient for Christmas.” 

“Well, it wants people to come together through a kiss. It seems like a good happy tradition, not something that will haunt you if you break it.” the more she speaks the more she is tempted to drop a kiss to guarantee they won’t have bad luck, she is usually very good at following traditions, “Do you think you can be affected by another group’s traditions? I don’t think you can, there are too many! I think you are only tied to the traditions of your people.”

Raising her free hand to her cheek, she patted it down, hoping the blush would go away. “Overgrown mountain men?” she repeated back with a laugh, “I wouldn’t know, no one gossips with me.”

“Or will it exact it’s revenge by ensuring that we get no more kisses, ever?” she asked with a little laugh. “Angry that it’s wish for a kiss was spurned. Like a jilted lover.” Eleonora finished a little dramatically, mostly because she thought it was amusing. “I’m not sure?” she said with lips pursed a little in thought. “Maybe...ones you’re aware of? I really don’t know.” 

She gave a little grin as Helga patted her cheek, finding her far too adorable. “Yes— the Slytherin one from Norway. I don’t actually know if he’s from the mountains. But he looks like a mountain.”

“You really had a snowball in your pocket?”  that’s a level of dedication to a play game that she did not expect from anyone, but by the yells and cries coming from outside, perhaps she miscalculated how much the students enjoyed the game.  “I’ll try to believe you. You were punished for your actions, maybe you learned your lesson.”

Looking down at her wrist, she smiled and sat down again, “Are you sure? It’s right over there, I’d be back in a second.” 

“Where else would I hold my ammo?” Eleonora said with what appeared to be actual confusion, her brows innocently furrowing together a little. It had seemed like a rather smart idea to her at the time. She’d had snowballs at the ready. Eleonora was fairly certain that Helga smiling at her and asking her to be a cookie taste tester was the exactly the opposite of punishment, but Eleonora wasn't about to complain. “It may have been the best punishment I ever received.” 

Eleonora grew a little bashful as Helga looked to her wrist, having touched the other girl as a rather spur of the moment thing. With slightly pinked cheeks, she let the other woman loose. “But then I’d be missing you instead. And who knows what treacherous terrain lies between here and there?”